How to care for dry mouth in nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients after radiotherapy

Dry mouth is one of the common side effects of radiotherapy for nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients. This is a normal phenomenon. Patients and their families do not need to worry too much about it. The following care methods can be used and the symptoms of dry mouth will gradually disappear.

1. Discharge guidance

The dry mouth symptoms of nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients after radiotherapy may persist for a long time, so patients should pay attention to oral hygiene, drink plenty of water, avoid fried and rough food, and not drink alcohol. For patients with difficulty opening their mouths, they should insist on doing mouth opening training, and they should not have their teeth extracted within 2 years to prevent jaw necrosis.

2. Psychological care

Patients should have a detailed understanding of the relevant knowledge of xerostomia before radiotherapy, and realize that the occurrence of xerostomia symptoms is inevitable, and the discomfort will gradually decrease after adaptation. Medical staff and family members should also give more comfort to patients with xerostomia, so that they can accept the facts, eliminate tension and irritability, and build confidence in overcoming the disease.

3. Rehabilitation care

Patients with dry mouth after radiotherapy for nasopharyngeal carcinoma should be given a high-calorie, high-vitamin semi-liquid diet and gargle with 4% borax solution or 3% sodium bicarbonate solution. When patients develop oral ulcers, pseudomembranes, and pain, their diet and nutritional status should be evaluated in a timely manner. Beifuji can be used for external application to relieve pain, or a mixture of normal saline, lidocaine, and vitamins can be used to gargle for analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects.